
Turning Points for Families - Texas
Living Well on Your Budget
by Jill Barnes
Budgeting
Make your money behave; tell your money where to go or it will go where it pleases. Stop charging and take charge of your money and debt.
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Step 1: Know how much money you have coming in and in savings.
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Step 2: Know how much money you spend. (Keep track of spending.)
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Step 3. Know how much money you must have to meet obligations and living expenses.
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Step 4. Set up a budget, accounting for every dollar. Must have a written plan.
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Step 5. Live within and by your budget. DO IT!
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Use the envelop system (see below)
On-line free Money Map (Christian based)
Step-by-step journey to financial freedom with an on-line community
https://www.crownmoneymap.org/MoneyMap/Login/FrmLogin.aspx
What to Know About Budgeting:
Why Do I Need a Budget?
http://www.daveramsey.com/the_truth_about/budgeting_3457.html.cfm
Why Live on a Budget?
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/Financial_Literacy/Jan07_budgeting_need_a1.asp?caret=1
Christian View on Budgeting
http://www.crown.org/pamphlets/pdfs/FamilyBudgeting.pdf
Secrets to Budgeting:
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/FinanciaLiteracy/Jan07_budgeting_howto_a1.asp?caret=2a
Six things that will make a budget fail:
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/Financial_Literacy/Jan07_budget_bombs_a1.asp?s=1&caret=2b
Envelop Budgeting System
http://www.crown.org/pamphlets/pdfs/ESI01.pdf
Create a Budget:
Tools & Resources:
Work sheets, calculators and money-saving tips to guide your financial planning
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/Financial_Literacy/Jan07_budgeting_tools_a1.asp?caret=6
Financial Statement
List your assets and your debts
http://www.crown.org/pamphlets/pdfs/FinancialStatement.pdf
Quickie Budget:
https://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_qbudget.pdf
Monthly Cash Flow Plan:
https://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_monthly_cash_flow_plan_forms.pdf
http://www.crown.org/pamphlets/pdfs/MonthlyIncomeandExpenses.pdf
Percentage of Income Guide for Family Budget
http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=263
Debt List
Keep track of your debits, payments and payoff dates
http://www.crown.org/pamphlets/pdfs/DebtList.pdf
Savings Account Allocations
Keep track of your savings – monthly budgeted long term items that are deposited into bank account until needed to pay out
http://www.crown.org/pamphlets/pdfs/SavingsAllocations.pdf
Irregulary Income Planning
https://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/irregular_income_planning.pdf
Account Tracking On-line - Free Quicken
http://quicken.intuit.com/online-banking-finances.jsp
Budgeting Classes:
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Find a ‘Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University’ class in your area.
ask about available scholarships to cover the cost of the materials
class is free (except cost of materials ~$120) and lasts approximately 10 weeks
or Dave Ramsey’s online Total Money Make Over website including interactive forms and tools for $89.00/year at: https://www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com/index.cfm?
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Find a Crown Ministries (Christian based) course.
https://www.crown.org/MyCrown/InMyArea.asp
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Community schools
Round Rock ISD Community School
http://www.roundrockisd.org/home/index.asp?page=1809
Austin ISD Community School (at Murchison)
http://www.imagineaustin.org/
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Libraries
Austin City Library Consumer Help
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/rg_downturn.htm
Free Forms:
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Crown Ministries
http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=263
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Dave Ramsey – ‘User Tools’ at bottom of page
Calculators:
Budget, credit card, debt, mortgage, loan, savings, automobile, work-related
http://www.crown.org/Tools/Calculators/
Mortgage
© Jill Barnes. 2009. All Rights Reserved.